What you see here is a dream come true. (Some dreams change as you age, Friends, so gimme a break.) This is a picture of our new basement bathroom. So new the sticker is still on the toilet that had never been used & there is still clean-up & decorating to do.

Our basement - near five years in our imaginations, over four years in a savings account, near two years in pay-as-we-go construction - is almost finished. Can I get an, "amen"?

Carpet will be installed next week. Got to paint the trim before then. Paint the doors as soon as possible within the next weeks too. I need that, "amen," again.

Yet, one problem. Small one. We've spent the savings we had to finish it so well, that we do not have enough left to fully furnish it.

I'm hearing a story. A parable. Jesus speaking. Consider the cost before building a tower. I know its a parable of discipleship, but its a building analogy & I've got building going on, Friends. And there is a lesson for Christ following disciples in my post today too. Back to my basement...

It is not fancy finish, but a good one. Quality construction. Materials that will last. Surfaces that look nice & hopefully endure better. We do have three rambunctious kids remember.

So, here we are at the place where we can say, "finished," and the basement built by faith is now challenging our flesh. Good stewardship is being challenged by good salesmanship. The challenge is our potential indebtedness in order that our fully finished basement might be a fully furnished basement.

It will be fully finished soon. It sure would be nice if it was fully furnished too.

The furnishing are not upstairs already. Upstairs is furnished. Upstairs has none to spare. These furnishing would be all new to us. We are, as my wiser-than-the-average wife said, "basically furnishing a whole other house except for the kitchen" downstairs. There's some sobering perspective for you. Two complete bedrooms. One larger than our master. Plus a new den as large as our living room upstairs.

So we could do 12 or maybe 18 months "same as cash." One local furniture store has even "Gone Bananas" (their sale name) with 48 month financing. We can get what we want now & pay along the way. However, here we find another problem. There is only so much cash in our monthly budget for all the that great "same as cash" stuff we'd like to have.

We got more ways to spend that we got means to pay.

(Terrible English, I know, but memorable I hope.)

As Americans we are regularly tempted to buy now & pay later. It sounds good, but it is a temptation because we still have to pay & it may be for things we really don't need.

But Melanie & I are choosing faith, good stewardship, & prudent budgeting. We won't have all the furniture we want right away, but we won't have the stress of paying for it either.

We pray that you'll join us in the practice of good, biblical stewardship. While you are at it, feel free to stop by & join us for a seat on our unfurnished yet fully carpeted basement floor too.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5